All Rio 2016 Brazilian medallists are Bolsa Atleta beneficiaries

All sixteen Brazilian medallists at the Rio Olympic Games so far (as of Saturday 20 August at noon) have been sponsored by the Sports Ministry's Bolsa Atleta programme ("Athlete Grant"). This fact summarises the success of the initiative, showcased at Casa Brasil during the seminar "Bolsa Atleta and the Evolution of Brazilian Sports". More than R$ 600 million wer invested in the programme's first decade of existence (2005 - 2015), allowing over 17,000 athletes to focus on high-level training.

Foto: Francisco Medeiros / Ministério do Esporte

In 2016, 6,152 athletes have received the grant, totalling R$ 80 million in investments. In its first decade, the programme awarded 43,000+ grants. Over 40 Olympic and Paralympic athletes attended the seminar. Felipe Wu, the first Brazilian medallist at the 2016 Games with a silver in shooting sport, offered an example of what the incentive can mean to an athlete's career. He represented other colleagues at the ceremony, and explained that the grant, which he started receiving eight years ago, allowed him to keep training. "I improved my level simply by no longer depending on my father. Since I started receiving the grant, it helped a lot in my development," he said.

Former Olympic gymnast Mosiah Rodrigues, coordinator of the Bolsa Atleta programme, said that its greatest advantage is that athletes can manage their own resources. "Our role is to support athletes directly, without going through confederations or entities", he said.

Former swimming Olympian Luiz Lima, current Secretary of High Performance Sports at the Ministry of Sport and himself a former beneficiary, emphasised the difficulties faced by those who want to compete in the Olympics. "It is a sacrifice. You have to be in the right place, and have support from your club, coach, family, and sponsor. I have no doubt that the programme is a success, and has a very positive impact on the lives of athletes," he added.

Badminton athletes Donnians Lucas (15) and Ygor Oliveira Coelho (19) illustrated that impact well. "The financial situation of your family improves, especially if you are not very well-off," says Donnians. A carioca (Rio native), Ygor said it was thanks to Bolsa Atleta that he got to spend three months in Denmark and can now train in Campinas. "It helps with food and accommodation. Without the grant, I think I wouldn't be in the Olympics. I wouldn't have become a high-performance athlete," he said.

Casa Brasil Team